Church of Alexander of Neva, Belgrade
The Church of Saint Alexander Nevsky is a prominent Serbian Orthodox church located in the Dorćol area of the Old Town (Stari Grad) municipality in Belgrade. The church is dedicated to Saint Alexander Nevsky, a revered Russian national saint, and is part of the Archeparchy of Belgrade and Karlovci of the Serbian Orthodox Church.
The Church of Saint Alexander Nevsky's site has a long history from the Austrian occupation of northern Serbia (1717-1739). Capucine monks, authorized by Emperor Charles VI on August 23, 1718, converted a mosque into a church dedicated to the Virgin Mary, likely the Bajram-beg mosque. Despite their small number, they conducted missionary work and cared for the sick in hospitals, converting over 1,000 imperial soldiers to Catholicism by 1725.
The first church on this site was constructed in 1877 in the Morava architectural style, a distinctive style associated with Serbian medieval architecture. Initially, this church was a modest wooden structure filled with bricks. However, it was demolished in 1891 due to urban development, despite opposition from the Serbian Orthodox Church.
Plans for a larger church emerged in 1912, with architect Jelisaveta Načić, the first woman to graduate from the architectural department of the Technical Faculty in Belgrade, being selected to design it. The foundation stone was consecrated by Metropolitan Dimitrije on May 12, 1912, in the presence of the heir to the throne, Alexander Karađorđević. The construction was interrupted by World War I and resumed afterward, with the church being completed in 1928 or 1929. The final structure was built in the Serbian-Byzantine style, which combines elements of Byzantine and Serbian medieval architecture.
The Church of Saint Alexander Nevsky was designated a cultural monument in 1983 by the Serbian Institute for Protection of Monuments, underscoring its historical and architectural importance. Today, it remains a significant religious and cultural landmark in Belgrade, reflecting the city's rich history and the enduring legacy of its architectural heritage.
The Church of Saint Alexander Nevsky's site has a long history from the Austrian occupation of northern Serbia (1717-1739). Capucine monks, authorized by Emperor Charles VI on August 23, 1718, converted a mosque into a church dedicated to the Virgin Mary, likely the Bajram-beg mosque. Despite their small number, they conducted missionary work and cared for the sick in hospitals, converting over 1,000 imperial soldiers to Catholicism by 1725.
The first church on this site was constructed in 1877 in the Morava architectural style, a distinctive style associated with Serbian medieval architecture. Initially, this church was a modest wooden structure filled with bricks. However, it was demolished in 1891 due to urban development, despite opposition from the Serbian Orthodox Church.
Plans for a larger church emerged in 1912, with architect Jelisaveta Načić, the first woman to graduate from the architectural department of the Technical Faculty in Belgrade, being selected to design it. The foundation stone was consecrated by Metropolitan Dimitrije on May 12, 1912, in the presence of the heir to the throne, Alexander Karađorđević. The construction was interrupted by World War I and resumed afterward, with the church being completed in 1928 or 1929. The final structure was built in the Serbian-Byzantine style, which combines elements of Byzantine and Serbian medieval architecture.
The Church of Saint Alexander Nevsky was designated a cultural monument in 1983 by the Serbian Institute for Protection of Monuments, underscoring its historical and architectural importance. Today, it remains a significant religious and cultural landmark in Belgrade, reflecting the city's rich history and the enduring legacy of its architectural heritage.
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Church of Alexander of Neva on Map
Sight Name: Church of Alexander of Neva
Sight Location: Belgrade, Serbia (See walking tours in Belgrade)
Sight Type: Religious
Sight Location: Belgrade, Serbia (See walking tours in Belgrade)
Sight Type: Religious
Walking Tours in Belgrade, Serbia
Create Your Own Walk in Belgrade
Creating your own self-guided walk in Belgrade is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Belgrade Introduction Walking Tour
Belgrade has been a city of strategic importance for millennia with its location at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers. In fact, it is one of the oldest continually inhabited cities on the planet.
Nomadic tribes inhabited the area as far back as 20,000 to 50,000 years ago. Some of these may have been Neanderthals rather than modern humans. By the sixth century BC, the Vinca culture... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.0 Km or 2.5 Miles
Nomadic tribes inhabited the area as far back as 20,000 to 50,000 years ago. Some of these may have been Neanderthals rather than modern humans. By the sixth century BC, the Vinca culture... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.0 Km or 2.5 Miles
Belgrade Old Town (Zemun) Walking Tour
Belgrade's Old Town, also known as Zemun, spread around Gardos Hill, is one of the city's oldest parts. Throughout the centuries, as the Balkans were part first of the Roman, then the Byzantine, and then the Austro-Hungarian empires, this area transformed into a beautiful neighborhood with narrow streets, cute buildings, and breathtaking views opening from the hill onto the Old Town and... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.4 Km or 1.5 Miles
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.4 Km or 1.5 Miles
Kalemegdan Park and Belgrade Fortress Walking Tour
The most beautiful park in Belgrade, Kalemegdan Park, or simply Kalemegdan, is also the largest park and the most important cultural and historical complex in the city. The actual park occupies a smaller portion, in the southern corner, of another, grander monument – the Belgrade Fortress (which is some two millennia older).
The fortress itself, often erroneously referred to, even by the... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.1 Km or 1.3 Miles
The fortress itself, often erroneously referred to, even by the... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.1 Km or 1.3 Miles